


Triad

by ViLaVi



Category: Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020), Reign of the Supermen (2019), Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Non-Canonical Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:15:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26706583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViLaVi/pseuds/ViLaVi
Summary: They're all that's left, living on borrowed time in the hellscape they once called home. At least they don't have to face the end alone.Apokolips War AU. DamiRaeKon.
Relationships: Kon-El | Conner Kent & Damian Wayne, Kon-El | Conner Kent/Raven, Raven/Damian Wayne
Comments: 33
Kudos: 131





	1. Kon I

**Author's Note:**

> A rewrite of Apokolips War, featuring a lot of the same story beats but with my own spin. DamiRaeKon because we definitely didn't get enough of the DCAMU Conner, and some fanart has me completely sold on a love triangle with him. Special thanks as always to my beta, JT.
> 
> Ages:  
> Raven/Conner: 17  
> Damian: 16

Conner fought to keep the grin off his face, doing his best to hide his amusement at Pa Kent's tirade. The patriarch was highly offended at the safety measures Clark insisted upon and his angry voice had been cutting through the laptop's speakers for over ten minutes.

The Kents did not take kindly to hiding in some backwoods cabin while their children tangled with alien gods on distant planets, and they did not care who knew it. Ma's disapproval was quieter than her husband's, but somehow even sterner as she appeared on screen.

"That's enough, Jon. He doesn't need to hear anymore of our bellyaching," she focused on Conner, "Hopefully you Titans won't need to do any fighting - and don't give me that look!" she snapped at his annoyed frown, "- but if you do, promise to be careful. Pa and I want you home in one piece," she finished.

They were being silly, Conner knew. Both he and his "father" were basically invulnerable and couldn't exactly be expected to sit this one out. Still though, he appreciated their concerned fawning more than he would ever admit.

"Yeah, yeah, I promise. You guys worry too much," he said with a reassuring smile.

"We worry just the right amount, young man," Pa replied gravely.

Conner paused before speaking again, "You guys be safe too, no sneaking away from the safehouse."

Lois had been pushing him to be better at reciprocating affection, rather than always hiding behind a cocksure attitude and one-liner. He could hear her in the background on another call, using her trademark no-nonsense voice with some unfortunate soul who'd displeased her. Kents sure did gravitate towards imposing women. Conner wondered if he'd be the same.

A loud pounding on the door interrupted their conversation. _Briefing time._

"Off you go then, son," Pa ordered, "Get to protecting the world."

He bid his adopted family farewell and snapped his laptop shut before rushing out of the room. He wondered how his team would react to Superman's plan, relieved not to have to keep it to himself anymore. Side effect of his first year of life spent with Lex - he _hated_ secrets.

He flooded into the briefing room with a cluster of other heroes, ensuring that he tossed Donna a saucy wink. She rolled her eyes in response, but grinned all the same. All the former Titans had been recalled and with the new members who'd joined over the last few years, they made an impressive sight.

The massive screen in the room came to life, and Superman wasted no time diving in.

"This is Apokolips, homeworld of Darkseid."

Conner rocked on the balls of his feet all throughout the briefing - it was a nervous habit that Lex had tried and failed to beat out of him. It unsettled him that so many members of the League spoke out against Clark's plan though he was unsurprised Lex was among them. Perhaps it was the gloryhound in him, but he'd been thrilled to hear they'd finally be going on the offensive against Darkseid. Only to be bitterly disappointed when he found out he'd be staying behind.

More than anything he wanted to go to Apokolips with Kal-El, to show he was just as much a hero as his Kryptonian progenitor. Ma and Pa had welcomed Conner into their lives with a depth of love and sincerity that had flustered him at first, but with Clark there was always some kind of barrier. He was never anything less than polite, but it was easy to tell that the clone unnerved him. Conner supposed he couldn't blame him.

Forcing down his bitterness for now, he let himself fantasize about single-handedly saving the Earth in the League's absence, a proud and grateful Clark bestowing the Superman mantle onto him, all the babes. It'd be great.

The moment the transmission ended, Robin made his value-judgement.

"This will be a debacle."

"Optimistic as ever, Damian," Nightwing said airily.

"Be serious. They're charging in completely blind. Who's to say they're not playing directly into Darkseid's hands?"

Conner felt a sudden spike of doubt, coupled with embarrassment that he hadn't considered the possibility of the New God intentionally drawing the League to him with his little phasing stunt. It...actually made sense.

"You think it's a trap?" Raven asked.

"I think there are too many unknown variables to justify an assault like this."

" _I_ think you're afraid," Speedy taunted, "Don't worry, little guy, we'll protect you."

The younger man turned angrily towards the archer, his body language suggesting a fight was imminent. Dude had serious anger issues.

"There are _always_ risks in war," Nightwing interjected, stepping between the two, "Batman is on board with this, Damian."

"You say that as if he hasn't been wrong before," Robin replied pointedly as he stepped around his predecessor, throwing a scowl at Speedy as he left the room.

Kori sighed, "It's perfectly normal to feel concerned, or even afraid," she told the rest of them, "Make no mistake that this is an extremely dangerous mission. If the League fails, it's up to us to keep the world safe from Darkseid and his monsters. Take some time to digest that and try to avoid antagonizing each other over the next few days," she finished pointedly.

Speedy rolled his eyes, "Robin's default setting is _antagonized_. But sure, Princess, I'll be nice."

Conner tried to swallow his newborn doubts. Robin was just being paranoid, and the Justice League heroes were too powerful and intelligent to be drawn into an ambush. Plus, it seemed unlikely Darkseid would expect them to face him on his own turf when all they'd ever done in the past was play defense.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" Donna's voice yanked Conner out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see the rest of the team filtering out. The Amazonian stood in front of him with a knowing smile.

"I had a little sneak peek," he admitted with a grin of his own.

Casual flirting with Donna sounded like a good distraction from his misgivings, so he figured he may as well go all in.

"Sounds like we could be spending our last few days on earth, Donna. Anything on your bucket list I can help with?" he asked cheekily.

"Well, I've always wanted to throttle you," she mused.

"Kinky."

She punched his shoulder playfully, and Conner's grin widened even as the shadows refused to leave his heart. It was all so _phony_ at the end of the day, just another kind of mask. Oh well - going through the motions was better than wallowing in his doubt. That's what they had Robin for.

_Good luck, Kal-El._

* * *

_Too many_ , Conner thought distantly as his fist tore through another paradoom chest. The fight had been going on for what felt like an eternity, and the sky was still thick with monsters. He felt like he was operating on autopilot as he weaved, dodged, punched, kicked, and blasted his heat vision. Every muscle in his body burned with the strain, and his eyes felt ready to melt out of his head.

He shot a quick glance towards the ground, which was covered in corpses of friends and enemies alike. A cobalt colored beam flashed near him as Blue Beetle engaged another cluster of paradooms. _Too many_ , the thought echoed, _Need to find Kori, we need to retreat._ He looked around for the Tamaranean as he raced through the sky, dodging claws, teeth, and lasers.

Black magic swirled somewhere below, indicating Raven was still in the game. He had already passed the corpses of Speedy, Beast Boy, and Wonder Girl. Flying fast, he saw Bumblebee thrown down and impaled on stray rebar. Kid Flash's broken body loitered nearby. The more he saw, the more convinced he became that none of this was real. Surely it was just some bizarre nightmare brought on by Robin's persistent pessimism and his own subconscious fears.

He finally spotted the alien princess hovering high in the air with her back to the Tower, four creatures bearing down on her and barely seeming to feel her starbolts. Conner moved to aid her, but had barely started in the right direction when two paradooms caught the redhead between them and tore her in half. The Kryptonian froze in midair, staring in fascinated horror as her body fell from the sky. This was definitely just a nightmare.

Staying still proved to be unwise. Movement flashed in Conner's peripherals and he felt his ribs shatter as a terrific blow swatted him to the ground. There was the briefest sensation of impact before his vision went dark.

Conner awoke with a jolt, breathing heavily as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. It took a moment to realize he was buried in rubble from his crash landing. He tried to move and groaned in pain, feeling like he'd been hit by a truck made of kryptonite.

Shaking his head, he concentrated his superhearing and scanned the area with his x-ray vision. Night had fallen, and the Tower stood brokenly in the distance. There were no signs of life.

Tentatively, he muscled his way out of the rubble, broken ribs screaming in protest.

_They're all dead. I have...I have to go check on Ma and Pa and Lois._

Thankful for the cover of night, Conner flew low and fast towards the isolated safehouse Clark had set aside for the Kent family. He should have gone to protect them the second they lost contact with the League. He definitely should have after Shazam had returned one-legged and screaming. It might have made him a lesser hero, unworthy of being Superman, but he would have traded all the glory in the world to personally know they were safe.

* * *

_Long black hair soaked in blood. Pa draped gracelessly over Ma, trying to protect her to the end. The house in ruins._

_Nononononono._

He leaned weakly against the stone wall, pounding it with his fist repeatedly and willing away images of the Kents.

They should have been safe - holed up in the middle of nowhere in a nondescript cabin, miles from any cities. There was no reason the paradooms should have been there.

_Darkseid knew where to find them. Somehow._

The cherry on top of his invasion, one last blow to the Man of Steel. Conner couldn't even stay at the scene long enough to bury them, racing back to the Tower he'd been calling home for the last year. Barely remembering that his Titan family was also dead.

The stone was fracturing beneath his blows, and he was making noise, so much noise, but he couldn't care. It didn't matter.

Out of control, he slammed his forehead against the rough stone, and the crumbling wall buckled. Oh, he'd better find another one.

A distant voice seemed to be calling to him, but he ignored it. _Have to find another wall._

His muscles bunched in preparation for flight before a small hand locked tightly around his forearm.

" _Conner!"_

Weird. Sounded like Raven, but Raven was dead. Also, she never raised her voice. Once Gar had slipped an ice cube down the back of her leotard and the mage's only response had been a dark look and a portal that dumped the changeling in the ocean. _But maybe she screamed when the paradooms killed her. I bet Ma and Pa screamed._

"Conner," the voice was quieter now, and a little out of breath. Definitely Raven.

Wonderingly, he turned and stared unapologetically at the violet-eyed witch. In another life, he used to love throwing her suggestive glances and teasing smiles (primarily to annoy the _clearly_ infatuated bat-brat she spent most of her time with), but he knew his current expression had to be one of dumb shock. Before this second, Conner was certain he would never see anyone he knew alive again.

An unknown, desperate instinct took hold and he suddenly lunged, tackling her to the ground and wrapping his arms tightly around her middle. He buried his face against her stomach and sobbed for the first time in his short life. Despite the tortured, choking sounds he was producing and the agony in his heart, there were no tears. He was unable to cry - one of many gifts from Lex.

Raven murmured soft words he couldn't understand and ran soothing hands across the planes of his back. He tightened his hold around her in return, needing to make sure, _really_ sure she was actually here.

After an indiscernible amount of time, Conner was too tired to continue. He still clung, but his sobs had devolved into shaky breaths and light trembles.

"Kon-El?"

Her voice was soft and comforting, but it was the use of his Kryptonian name that finally encouraged him to pull slightly away from her warmth and look up at her face.

She gave him a small, encouraging smile and pushed some hair from his eyes, "There you are."

He was staring again, but couldn't find it in himself to care. She was strong, and he needed guidance.

"What do I do, Rae?"

"First, you loosen your grip a little," she told him in a quiet, chiding voice.

Conner obliged, guilty at the realization of how he must have been crushing her with his superstrength. She inhaled deeply, and the sound was musical.

"Much better."

He almost managed to smile at her when another voice cut through the odd moment they were sharing.

"Secondly, we need to get out of here."

Conner flinched violently, leaping up to face the...well, not exactly _newcomer_. Judging by his relaxed seated position on a nearby pile of rocks Damian had been there quite a while. His uniform was covered in blood, but he seemed unhurt.

Raven rose as well, her languid and graceful movements imprinting themselves into Conner's mind in a way they never had before.

"Raven and I are going to lead the League of Assassins. This fight isn't over yet, and we'll need whatever help we can get," Damian explained, his voice and expression hard.

"Come with us, Conner," Raven said, "We need to stick together."

She really was a sweetheart beneath her eerie goth exterior, a distant part of him mused. He'd have to tell her that, someday. The fear of being alone here again was currently at the fore of his mind though, and he could only nod dumbly at the pair in front of him.

"Heh, for sure. You two are in good hands," he gloated weakly, throwing them a frail approximation of his trademark cocky grin.

Damian scoffed, turning to Raven and giving her the coordinates to their destination. Conner crossed his arms as they walked into her glowing portal, only now registering the lack of pain and realizing his broken ribs had been mended.


	2. Raven I

_**Your relief is sorely misplaced, little bird. His survival is a gift to me - I will kill him myself.** _

_Shut up!_

Raven's eyes were closed, her forehead resting against the rough bark of the evergreen tree as she tried to banish Trigon's voice. Transporting the three of them to Nanda Parbat had taken more out of her than expected and she felt uncharacteristically weak.

_**And you will only grow weaker. The day will come you can no longer hold me.** _

_No! Get used to your prison - you're not going anywhere._

_**Only a matter of time, Raven. Only a matter of time.** _

The voice was finally fading and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you going to be alright?" A gloved hand laid lightly on her shoulder. She realized several minutes must have passed with her in this condition and felt mildly embarrassed.

"Yes," she forced out, pushing away from the tree and meeting Damian's gaze. Even with his mask on, she could feel the skepticism in his eyes. As ever, his concern quickened her heart rate.

"Let me help," he said, not waiting for an answer before pulling her arm over his shoulders and marching them both towards the building in the distance. Her face felt warm, but she leaned into him anyways, feeling taxed.

Conner fell into step beside them, bracketing Raven on her other side and tossing her an awkward grin. His emotions were still fraught, but it was a relief to see him acting more like himself. _Then again, how well do either of us really know him?_

The Kryptonian had gravitated to the more sociable Titans from the day he joined, rarely speaking to either of them outside of missions and always finding a way to infuriate Damian when he did. Raven generally tried to be kind to him, seeing through his flirtatious facade but being put-off by it all the same. She had felt true sympathy for Donna, who's interest in Conner was sincere and had sought out the empath to ask if her feelings were reciprocated. It had been a horribly uncomfortable conversation.

The two boys in her company were more alike than either would ever admit to. Both hid their truer selves beneath a thick layer of what they felt they were _supposed_ to be. Damian, as she had told him so long ago, was a kind and generous soul who cloaked himself in anger and egotism. In Conner she sensed a deeply loyal and earnest nature, hidden beneath a capricious and vain mask. Defense mechanisms. More than anything, both of them were hungry for affection and harbored some _serious_ daddy issues.

As they drew closer to the stronghold, it became obvious something was wrong. Bodies littered the ground near the main gate and the massive doors were wide open. Damian stiffened, and Raven tapped his shoulder lightly, letting him know it was okay to let her go. He obliged and drew his sword warily.

"Kent, do you see anyone alive inside?"

"None, there are a lot of bodies though," he responded after a quick scan.

Damian searched the skies above as they approached the gate, expression tense. A quick glance at the first corpse they came to told Raven there was no need.

"Paradooms didn't do this," she said quietly, gesturing to the knife buried hilt-deep in the dead man's throat.

Damian knelt to inspect the markings on the handle, "Mutiny," he said soberly, "You two stay close, we need to check for survivors."

There weren't any, Conner had already confirmed as much. Raven knew that Damian was already aware of that fact and that it would do no good to remind him. She simply nodded as he rose, shooting the clone a pointed look when it seemed he was about to object.

It had been a massacre, and it was clear the compound had been looted in the aftermath. Doors hung on broken hinges and wooden walls were deeply scored where golden filigree once adorned them. Raven had seen this place in Damian's memory when she healed him all those years ago, standing proud and opulent against the mountains. Seeing their childhood homes desecrated was now just one more thing they had in common.

Damian seemed to have a specific destination in mind as he guided them through the carnage. She detected anxiety behind his mental walls and barely had time to wonder about it before he rounded a corner and stopped dead. Raven peered over his shoulder to see why and couldn't stop a cry from escaping.

_Oh, Titus._

Their sweet puppy had grown into a loving, loyal companion over the years and she knew how Damian treasured him. The sight of his bloody body was enough to drive the younger boy to his knees as he stared in mute shock. The dam around his emotions broke without warning and pain hit Raven full force. She could always feel Damian more strongly than anyone else.

She knelt beside him, trying to swallow her sobs, instinctively needing to provide comfort. His expression was blank, even as his sanity-breaking distress tore into a mind that was still a bit frayed from Conner's previous onslaught. _These two are going to be the death of me._

She cupped Damian's face and pulled his mask off, staring directly into his jade eyes and pleading softly with him, unsure of what she was even saying as she willed him to stop hurting. His gaze was locked on hers, searching brokenly as he listened to her rambling entreaties with rapt attention. _Azar, I can barely breathe. Please, please make it stop!_

After a moment he inhaled sharply, snapping his eyes shut and pressing his forehead to hers. He grabbed her hands to pull them away from his face, holding them in a crushing grip as he took several deep breaths. She ignored the pain, watching him carefully and nearly crying in relief as she felt his emotions stabilize. Finally, Damian lifted his head and visibly steeled himself before turning back to Titus.

The canine's body was concealed beneath a large curtain, which Conner had apparently found during their little breakdown. He stood nearby, nervous concern reflected in his ice gray eyes.

"I...thank you, Kent," Damian said quietly as he fully regained composure and pulled them both to their feet.

Raven smiled shakily at the clone, hoping she looked as grateful as she felt. He returned it weakly before reaching out and laying a tentative hand on each of their shoulders.

"Gotta look out for each other...yeah?"

Damian tolerated the touch for only a brief moment before shrugging the hand away and approaching the body of an unmasked, red-clad woman near Titus.

"Lady Shiva. She was in command here. But without an Al Ghul to lead, a revolt was inevitable in the face of a global threat. I should have known," he explained bitterly.

He turned back to them, "We'll stay here awhile to rest and plan our next steps. We know for sure the paradooms haven't found this place and I don't expect any of the traitors to return."

Raven sighed in relief, she'd been dreading creating another portal for them.

"There's a barracks in the east wing. Go get some sleep, Raven. I can tell you're barely standing," he finished, tone softening.

"What about you?"

"I have bodies to bury."

"Let me-" Conner started.

" _No._ They're my people, I need to do it."

She knew better to argue with that stubborn tone, and apparently the Kryptonian did too. They shared a glance before turning to leave, Raven giving Damian a last lingering look.

They made their way to the east wing in relative silence, and she gratefully accepted Conner's support when he held his arm out to her. The empath felt weaker than she could ever remember, both her body and mind completely tapped after everything she'd been subjected to. Had it really been only a day since the world went to hell? She blinked to clear her head and picked up a new emotion from her companion.

"You have nothing to feel guilty about, Conner."

He glanced down at her in surprise, and she couldn't help but smile at the sheepish expression on his face.

He swallowed and looked away, the corner of his mouth drawing down into a light frown.

"Gotta be hard - feeling what everyone else does," he muttered.

"It can be."

"I bet you wish you didn't have that power now - end of the world and all that," he said, and she could tell he was thinking of the breakdowns she'd weathered with both of them.

"You lose that bet. My empathic ability is more important now than ever," she replied, "I need it to take care of you and Damian."

Conner said nothing more as they reached their destination and discovered a spacious room filled with cots. A few of the shoji screens were slashed, but the space was by and large untouched and miraculously corpse free.

Sighing, she kicked off her boots and carelessly threw her cloak on the ground before collapsing onto the nearest cot with a groan.

"I didn't bury them," Conner whispered.

She cracked open an eye to see him sitting on the cot nearest to her, head in his hands. The guilt in his aura had returned tenfold.

"Lois, Ma and Pa. I just left them there. I could barely even look at them. Damian's stronger than I am."

"Don't go telling him that, his ego's big enough as it is," she replied with a weary smile, "They loved you, Kon-El. And if they had seen how hard you fought today, how you helped Damian and I, they would be so proud. They'd tell you that you're exactly where you need to be."

Conner closed his eyes and laid back, finally seeming to let some of the tension leave his body. Satisfied he'd be alright, she closed her eyes again and instantly began to doze.

"Who takes care of you, Rae?" his voice was so quiet she wasn't sure if he meant for her to hear him.

She huffed, "I can take care of myself."

* * *

The next morning found Raven meditating over her cot, feeling physically if not emotionally rejuvenated.

Trigon's hatred was burning behind her wards, but they were keeping him silent for now. Raven took the opportunity to thicken the barriers and bolster his chains, his threats from the previous day still at the fore of her mind. It was long, arduous work, but worth the added sense of security. Nearly an hour passed before a voice pulled her back to the physical plane.

"Mind if I hang out here? Damian threatened to behead me if I keep bugging him."

She smirked and opened her eyes, "That sounds like him. Suit yourself, but I'm not the best company while I'm meditating."

"Oh. Can I meditate with you?"

She eyed him curiously, "Sure? Never would have pegged you as the type for it, though."

"I'm...not," he admitted, "But I'm…"

"Bored?" she offered.

"Yeah, that," he tossed her a lopsided grin, "Also, I could do with some relaxing."

She rolled her eyes and smiled, "Alright."

She ran him through the basic form and breathing exercises, holding in a chuckle when he mimicked her levitating rather than sitting on his cot. Once he was situated, she closed her eyes and resumed her own meditation, slipping easily back into tranquility.

_Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos._

_Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos._

_Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos._

"Am I doing it right?"

"Less talking," she said with a small smile, "Other than that, not bad."

"Right. No talking or thinking. Just kinda float here...and breathe…" he trailed.

"Let me guess, still bored?" she asked.

"...Maybe a little."

Oh well, it had been a productive enough session for her. She cast her power out to check on Damian - his grief was still weighing heavily, but he was calm and in control. Satisfied, she unfolded and let herself fall onto the thin mattress beneath her.

"Alright, you have my full attention. What would _you_ like to do?"

He flopped down as well, pointedly looking away from her before speaking.

"Rae?"

"Hm?"

"Sorry for always being such a dirtbag to you."

_Where did that come from?_ "It's fine. I know you were just playing around." Conner's flirty tendencies were quite literally the least of her problems. Still, she could sense his sincerity and felt oddly touched by the apology.

He muttered something to himself that sounded like _deja vu_ , but she didn't press him. Usually when Conner was being awkward he was completely oblivious to it, so this was a fun change of pace.

He fidgeted more, raising his eyes tentatively and scowling lightly at her bemused expression.

"What?" he asked defensively.

"Nothing," she said lightly, "Just never seen you so uncomfortable."

"Heh. Maybe I just have a weakness for pretty girls," he said slyly, recovering his composure.

She raised an eyebrow.

"...I'm doing it again. My bad."

She tossed him her normal half-smile and rolled her eyes. "We'll have to get you a new defense mechanism. Anyways, let's have a look around and see if we can find anything useful."

Her perked up, "Sweet! Let's bounce."

"We'll have to get you some new slang as well."

He laughed at that, the sound foreign and out-of-place after all the horrors they'd endured. Nonetheless, she was grateful for it.

* * *

_Always rooftops,_ she reflected, stalking daintily along the beam towards his seated form.

"I hear Conner was driving you crazy today," she said, settling down carefully next to him.

"Just today?" he scoffed, staring absently at the night sky.

Raven smiled, but it felt forced. Damian was still a storm of emotions and as worried as she was, she wondered if he would have been better left alone for now. But she'd already stayed away as long as she could. She bit her lip and took a deep breath before she began to speak.

"When Azarath was destroyed, my father made me walk the ruins alone for days before he brought me to his own dimension. He wanted me to appreciate my work. By the time he was satisfied, both my feet were bloody and all the corpses were rotted," she paused, sensing his eyes on her profile, "I'm not telling you this because I want pity, or like it's some kind of contest. I'm telling you because at that time, I wanted nothing more than to leave and never look back. I could never have stayed there and walked among them willingly," she turned and caught his eyes, "You're something else, you know that?"

His expression was neutral, but she knew him well enough to spot the appreciation in his emerald orbs. Raven considered telling him what Conner had confided to her as well, but opted against it. As much as she wanted to bolster him, it wasn't her pain to share.

"You were just a child," Damian said, finally breaking their gaze and looking back upwards.

"Technically, we still are."

"Tt. Arbitrary."

She smiled again. "Whatever our age, you've always been something else."

His affection pressed against her and she suppressed a blush, feeling as though she'd been a bit too forward given how raw his emotions still were.

"You should go get some rest," he told her, "...and thank you."

She nodded, as much as she hated to leave him alone.

"Goodnight, Damian."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all like it and feedback is always appreciated. Thanks, as always, to JT for beta-ing.


	3. Damian I

It had taken three full days to bury all the bodies, and Damian had never felt so physically or mentally exhausted. True to his word, he'd tended to each of the fallen himself, despite Kent's frequent attempts to offer help. He suspected the clone might be trying to compensate for something.

The only exception was Titus, whom he and Raven had laid to rest in the compound's sacred plot while Conner watched from a distance. Somehow, when the time came for that task, she'd known just where to find him and he'd been unable to refuse her. _This one is both of ours_ , she told him.

Once the deed was done, he sat numbly next to the grave, one bare hand laid lightly on the upturned soil.

"This plot is reserved for Al Ghuls and those they cherish most," he told her, his voice distant.

She sat beside him, brushing a strand of blue-black hair behind her ear with muddy fingers.

"It's worthy of him, then."

"I never really thanked you. For giving him to me."

"Sure you did. You just didn't need to say it out loud."

Silence reigned for a moment, and he felt a sudden need to confess something to her, knowing she might very well hate him for it.

"I was going to use the Lazarus Pit. Maybe I should have. For Grayson, Titus, the other Titans."

In his peripherals, he saw her head whip towards him and her entire body became tense. He used to enjoy the rare occasions he could catch Raven off-guard.

" _No,"_ her voice was angry, and Damian pointedly kept his eyes forward to try and hide from her disappointment.

She didn't let him, laying a hand on the side of his face and jerking his gaze to her.

"Promise me right now you will never use it. No matter who it is. _Promise me."_

Her eyes sparked with distress and he couldn't help feeling guilty. Even so, his natural defensiveness kicked in and he had to argue.

"I know you hate it because of your father, but it's just a tool at the end of the day. If it can help-"

" _No."_ she repeated emphatically, "Trigon's gifts are poisoned. The Pit...it's not meant to help. It's meant to corrupt. You have to promise me."

Her hand was still on his face and her violet orbs bored into him. Damian swallowed his protests, feeling he owed this to her but not liking it one bit.

"...I promise."

* * *

A month at the compound resulted in some semblance of a routine for the three of them, but for the first time in his life Damian was at a loss for what to do next. They had a greenhouse to keep them fed, a roof to keep them sheltered, and enough basic supplies laid by for a moderately comfortable existence.

Even so, he didn't want to stay. This place was full of ghosts and broken dreams for him. Then again, he supposed those would follow him anywhere.

Damian had resigned himself to the fact that his entire family was dead, and that his lifelong goal to one day take up the mantle of the Bat would never be realized. The best any of them could hope for anymore was survival, and without a higher purpose to strive for he felt adrift. He wished more than anything that his brother had survived, needing the older man's guidance and irritating optimism more than he would ever admit. The image of Nightwing being impaled flitted through his mind's eye, accompanied by familiar guilt and bitterness. Damian had been a terrible brother, but Grayson had died protecting him all the same. _And now what?_

He closed his eyes and sighed, feeling tired and defeated down to his bones. His entire life there had always been something to work for. A task to fulfill, a mission to complete, a plan to enact. He grieved for his lost purpose almost as strongly as his family. Even rousing the energy to train was a chore, and he often caught himself standing frozen in the sparring yard, lost in his thoughts and his grief.

Making his circuit of the grounds, he came upon Raven and Conner at one of the compound's wells, where the mage was wringing soapy water from her heavy cloak. Her leotard was draped over a nearby beam and she was wearing a loose green and gold robe she must have found somewhere. Seeing her in League colors and doing something so domestic caused Damian's heart to stutter. Half-formed feelings festered beneath a thick wall of grief, and he forced them down ruthlessly. They were thoughts from another life.

"Hey," Raven smiled.

"Rae was telling me how her clothes powers work," Conner chimed in, "Still makes no sense."

"Of course not, it's magic," she said with a shrug before turning back to him, "I, um, hope you don't mind…" she told him apologetically, gesturing to her current attire.

"No, it's fine" he replied with a swallow, "But can't you just use magic to keep your uniform clean?"

"Sure, but it seems like a waste of my powers right now. And there was nothing else to do."

Damian couldn't argue with that, "On that subject, I'm not sure what our next steps should be. The Justice League and Titans are gone, and what should have been a haven for us here has been wiped out. We can't fight this war with just the three of us," he paused and let his words hang in the air.

Both his teammates had their eyes averted, and he was surprised when Conner was the one to break the silence, "I have nowhere else to go. I'll stick with you and Rae, if it's all the same."

He held back a biting refusal. Even if his company had been less objectionable than usual lately, Robin and Superboy had never particularly gotten on well, and he'd never paid attention to Raven beyond his normal over-the-top flirting. The first time they met he'd propositioned the witch so brazenly that Damian immediately called Gotham to demand his father's supply of kryptonite before Grayson calmed him down.

A vindictive voice in the back of his mind wanted to blame Conner for Superman's failings; the moronic, unscouted assault on Apokolips that had taken everything from them. That same voice wanted to dwell on every slight the Kryptonian had dealt him in his year with the Titans.

It was a child's voice, eager to punish and blame _something_ for the horror around them and the heaviness in his heart. They were all orphans now, and he had no right to send Kent away.

Damian Wayne. Damian al Ghul. Ibn al Xu'ffasch. Drifting in a broken world.

Both of them were looking at him expectantly, and he understood with a jolt that they were awaiting judgement. He reflected on the last month, the natural roles they'd all fallen into and realized somewhere along the way he'd taken charge.

It was an alien, bizarre feeling. Despite being groomed for leadership since birth, his temperament didn't exactly inspire loyalty. Now that he had a taste, he wasn't entirely sure he could handle it.

_They would be my responsibility._

Did he really want that? Even as he wondered, he knew the answer. Damian _needed_ purpose.

"Then we'll stay together. As far as I'm concerned, we're family now. I will do everything in my power to keep you alive and well," he said firmly.

Conner only blinked confusedly at the proclamation, but Raven just smiled, trust radiating from her dark eyes **.**

* * *

Damian's sleep was interrupted by a sharp cry, and before he knew what he was doing he was up and reaching for a sword that wasn't there.

In the dim moonlight, he could see Raven sitting upright and clutching her head. Conner stood nearby, glancing around in a way that suggested he was scanning the area with his x-ray vision.

"I'm sorry," she forced out, "just a nightmare."

She took a few deep breaths and seemed to level out, glancing at the two of them apologetically. "Go back to sleep, I'm fine,"

Damian frowned. Even before the paradoom attack Raven's nightmares had been increasing in both frequency and severity and he had a suspicion as to why.

"Is it Trigon?" He asked quietly.

Her silence confirmed it.

"He's not-"

"No, he's not getting out. Trust me," she interrupted forcefully.

He wanted to, but... _No, stop it. I do trust her._

"I trust you, Rae. You're tougher than you look," Conner said with a yawn. "Give him hell for waking us up, though."

Raven shot the Kryptonian a grateful glance as she laid back down. Both of the boys followed suit, but Damian made a point of moving his cot closer to hers. He wasn't entirely sure why, but it felt right.

The next day found all three of them in the training yard. Raven meditated while he sparred with Conner - despite his personal grievances with the clone, Damian enjoyed testing his skills with such a strong opponent. Besides, Kent said he always wanted to learn to use a sword.

"Quit hacking at me like you're wielding a meat cleaver," Damian snapped, exasperated by his partner's poor form.

"It feels more natural that way," he argued.

"And it leaves you completely wide open," he countered, parrying an exceptionally sloppy cut and sending the blade flying from Conner's hand.

"So? Not like you could cut me anyways."

"I'll get a sword made of kryptonite. Just for you."

Conner scowled, but there was no venom in it. As hopeless a swordsman he was, he seemed to be having fun. He turned to pick up the wayward blade and suddenly stiffened.

In the blink of an eye, he was across the yard and Raven was pinned beneath him. It took Damian only a second to spot the knife embedded in the ground where she'd been levitating and he raised his own blade in time to deflect a second projectile aimed for his forehead.

He instantly leapt and rolled for cover beneath a nearby awning and scanned the rooftops, knowing the assassins had the high ground and not wanting to get pinned down. _There!_

Two black clad figures darted along the apex of the roof before his batarangs found them. Just as they stumbled, a black-and-blue streak snatched them both and dangled them in front of Damian by their collars.

Conner's eyes were glowing with red, and he was momentarily surprised by the clone's deadly countenance.

"Don't forget this one," Raven said, guiding a third man towards them with rings of black magic keeping him restrained.

Damian nodded up at Conner, who dropped his two captives unceremoniously at his feet.

_"Ibn al Xu'ffasch, you have returned,"_ one man said in their mother tongue, _"Many apologies, we did not recognize you and assumed you three were responsible for the devastation here."_

"Whatever he just said, he's lying," Raven informed him.

Damian kept his eyes forward, _"You take me for a fool."_

_"Your witch deceives you, honored grandson. Allow me to prove my loyalty and cut out her black heart."_

His glare sharpened, _"It is your death that would satisfy me, traitor."_

One of the other captives spat at him then, his brown eyes hard and angry, _"Save your entreaties. He has aligned with chattel. Know this, boy, you disgraced your clan and your name long before we sacked this compound."_

_"You speak boldly for a coward and failed assassin. You are at my mercy now."_ He replied darkly.

_"You will do nothing. You are weak now."_

Damian only smirked. "Raven, I want them all on their knees."

She obliged, her magic pulling them all into a prostrate position before him.

_"You have betrayed your clan, attacked your rightful lord, and proven yourselves unworthy of the League of Assassins. Speak your final words,"_ he instructed, readying his sword.

_"Die slowly, Ibn al Xu'ffasch,"_ one replied, the others staying silent keeping their eyes on the ground in preparation for what was next.

Damian poised for his swing, confident he could take all their heads in a single blow. He paused, wondering if one of his teammates would try to intervene, and was met by silence.

A flash of silver steel and it was over.

He turned from the corpses in disgust, sticking his bloodied sword into the earth.

"Neither of you stopped me," an observation, not an accusation.

"I wanted them dead, too," Conner replied with none of his normal levity.

Raven's hand alighted delicately on his shoulder before she spoke, "Things are different now. We're not the same as we were before."

He exhaled, more relieved than he wanted to admit. Father would have been horrified with him, but he was gone and the world he left behind had no place for moral absolutes. When he was ready, he turned to meet their eyes.

"We can't stay here anymore. I'm not sure why these three came back, but we can assume they won't be the last."

Conner shrugged, "Lead the way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a bit longer to post. Hope you enjoyed, feedback is appreciated.   
> Thanks, as always, to my beta jt!


	4. Kon II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay in updating - I struggled a bit with this chapter, but hope you all enjoy the end product. Thanks as always to JT for beta-ing!

Conner found it hard to believe Happy Harbor had ever been deserving of its name. First of all, it was located in New England. Secondly, the weather was consistently muggy, gray, and overcast. At least Raven seemed to like it.

Upon their arrival, they had made for the Secret Sanctuary - a disused superhero hideout only Damian had ever heard of - which made it even more surprising that the paradooms had destroyed it. Between that and the targeting of the Kent's safehouse, it was clear that Darkseid had inside knowledge of the JLA's workings. Conner suspected Luthor, remembering his protestations at the briefing. _There's always a deal to be made_. Perhaps it was unkind of him to think that way. As far as he knew, Lex was dead with all the rest of them.

They'd nabbed what weapons, tech, and medical supplies they could from the wreckage of the Sanctuary and decided to stay in the area for the time being. Paradooms were scarce, scavenging was choice, and, for better or worse, they'd yet to encounter any other survivors.

It was Damian's turn to pick their new safehouse and he opted for a large colonial home in the suburbs of the city. Their dear leader did love his old buildings with dated furniture. Conner himself was partial to posh, modern penthouses. Raven switched between the two styles with such regularity that he was convinced she was doing it to appease them. He'd yet to tell her what a sweetheart she was, despite how frequently the thought crossed his mind these days.

"Hold still," she tsked, breaking him from his reverie.

"Sorry, Rae."

He was cross-legged on the floor as she sat behind him, each gentle pull on his hair accompanied by the rasping sound of the scissors snapping shut. His preferred fade was probably a bit beyond Raven's skills, but anything had to be better than the staticky mop he'd woken up with that morning.

Just the idea of something as routine and ordinary as a haircut was surprisingly comforting. Conner found himself needing little pieces of normalcy to help patch the holes in his life left by Darkseid. Although some things might never change - he could still _barely_ stand to be by himself for any period of time, too worried that he would suddenly wake up back in the shadow of Titan's Tower, well and truly alone.

"You're set," she informed him with a light poke to the back of his head.

He ran his hands over his scalp to appreciate her handiwork. _Not bad._ She'd even left a little bit of length on the top for him. Conner turned to face her with a smile.

Her own indigo-tinted hair had grown considerably in the three months since they'd left Tibet, but he thought the extra length suited her.

"Thanks, doll. What would we do without you?"

"You'd be a bit shaggier."

"I think we'd be miserable." And boy was _that_ the truth.

"I definitely would have killed him by now," Damian put in from across the room, where he was staring absently out the window into the darkening sky. He did that often, falling silent for long periods until one of them brought him back to the present. Raven worried, but he was getting better about it as time went by.

She stood and stretched, the move highlighting her slender frame beneath the black dress she'd taken to wearing when not in hero-garb. _Actually, she's looking thinner than usual_. Concern welled within him, but he tried to push it down. They'd all probably lost a few pounds.

Even so. "Are you hungry? We still have some of that stew Damian made."

The Boy Wonder turned out to be a weirdly good cook, even with the limited resources they had. Conner had asked him about his culinary skills once before, only to receive a flat stare and terse "Are you going to eat it or not?" And that was that.

She blinked at the non-sequitur. "No? But thanks for offering."

"You sure? You're a growing girl," he insisted. Subtlety had never been his strong suit.

"I'm older than both of you."

"You're, what, three years old, Kent?" Damian added, leaving the window and plunking down on a nearby loveseat.

"But I'm physically seventeen, which makes _you_ the baby," he shot back with a grin.

"Azar, knock it off," Raven admonished them, sitting next to Damian and nudging him with her shoulder to cut off his retort. "You _both_ have growing up to do."

"Tt." Damian scoffed and rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth lifted and he nudged her back fondly.

In the before time their awkward flirting was cute, but Conner found it almost unbearably irritating these days. He forced his aggravation away and rose to examine the massive wall of DVDs that occupied the room.

All other things aside, he'd grown extremely fond of both his remaining teammates. Damian had this whole protect and nurture thing going on under his snark and temper. Kind of like a mother hen with access to knives and hand grenades. It was oddly touching. And while he wasn't exactly... _easy_ to talk to, Conner enjoyed their mutual ribbing. All in all Damian Wayne wasn't actually that bad. Usually.

Raven was just great; gentle, witty, serene. Being around her was so pleasant and soothing that for a while he was wholly convinced she was using her magic on him at all times. He thought back to when he'd first joined the Titans, Gar and Wallace telling him to leave Raven alone after his initial flirting, warning him how cold and standoffish she was. He blamed Damian for keeping the witch all to himself, and wouldn't have been surprised if the baby-bat reinforced the other boys' impressions to scare them off. _Possessive much, Dami_?

Clearly, the person who'd owned the house they were staying in was a huge film buff, Conner mused as his eyes scanned the various titles on the wall. TV and movies had been the one normal thing during his time with Lex, and the only time Dabney had treated him like a person, a _kid_ , instead of a project.

"Oh _snap_ ," he said suddenly, one particular case catching his eye. "They have my favorite movie!"

He pulled the DVD out, a nostalgic smile on his face as he looked over the cover.

Raven approached from behind, looking curiously over his shoulder. "What's it about?"

"This kid fakes sick to get out of school, then he and his buddies tear up the town." He looked back at her curiously. "Wait, you've never seen it?"

"No. They made an entire movie out of someone skipping school?" she asked skeptically.

"No...well, yes. But there's shenanigans. He steals a car," Conner tried to explain.

"So it's a movie about a criminal," Damian scoffed.

"I mean, I guess? It's funny, though!"

Honestly, how had _neither_ of them ever seen _Ferris Bueller's Day Off?_ Just how in the hell does a three year-old genetic experiment end up having the most pop-cultural knowledge?

"Didn't you steal the Batmobile once?" Raven asked with a smirk.

Conner's eyebrows shot up and he smiled back at Damian. "No way. That's so cool!"

He gave both of them a pointed look. "I was rescuing children. Not playing hooky."

The clone rolled his eyes at their leader's serious tone. "Yeah, yeah. Seriously though, it's a really good movie."

"It sounds childish," he replied pointedly.

Ah, so he was still a little touchy that Conner made fun of his age. He wasn't sure why it rankled him so much, considering Damian probably came out of the womb acting like a pissed-off geriatric.

"Damian prefers black and white movies," Raven informed him.

_Case in point._

He looked at her curiously. "What kind of movies do you like?"

She shrugged, running her eyes over the hundreds of cases on the wall. "I don't know, I prefer books. Kori made me watch _The Notebook_ once and I thought it was okay."

A smile slowly spread across his face. "Don't tell me that dark, mysterious Raven likes _romance_?"

She glared lightly at him but said nothing. Conner winked knowingly before turning back to the shelves.

"You'd probably like _Casablanca,"_ Damian said quietly.

They both turned to look at him, but his eyes were focused on the floor. He almost looked... _embarrassed?_

"If you do actually like romance."

His normal reaction to _Damian Wayne_ of all people suggesting a love story would have been relentless teasing, but when he turned to share an amused glance with Raven, she was staring at the younger man with a soft, pretty smile.

Something about the sight dissatisfied Conner and he felt the grin slide right off his face. He glanced back at Damian, who's gaze was still purposefully averted. Dissatisfaction morphed into something angrier. _He's not even looking at you, Rae._

He floundered, inexplicably wanting her attention back on him.

"There's also " _10 Things I Hate About You,"_ he spouted.

"What?"

"Another good romance movie. The ice queen falls for a charming bad boy."

She raised an eyebrow. "Weird title for a love story."

"Yeah. Tomorrow when we move we should find a place with a big screen. Could always hook up the generator and do a movie night," he sounded thoughtfully.

"That is _not_ an appropriate use of our generator," Damian chided.

 _"Lame._ Why do we listen to you again? Motion for Rae to take over as team leader."

"Seconded." Raven smiled.

"Motion passes. You had a good run, Dami."

He snorted at them, but the mood in the room was light, the banter normal. One could almost forget it was the apocalypse.

* * *

"I can _feel_ how much you're enjoying this," she grumbled. "Stop it."

Like it was _his_ fault a sulky Raven was so adorable. Still, he tried to oblige, throwing a puppy-dog look her way.

"Poor Raven. Are we having a bad day?"

Alright, so it wasn't a sincere attempt. Her eyes narrowed and her jaw twitched.

"Sorry, babe," he said quickly.

She scoffed, turning away from him and trying for the umpteenth time to smooth down her hair. It was an especially humid day and she was a mess of curls. Conner fought down a smile.

They were currently wandering through a strip mall in a downtown, corporate area of the city. Damian had stayed behind in the nearby condo he'd picked that morning, working to get the power on while he and Raven searched for supplies. Ordinarily they'd split up, but Trigon had been tormenting his daughter ruthlessly the previous night and she grudgingly admitted to feeling a bit weak as a result. Conner and Damian both agreed she shouldn't go out alone, and since they never agreed on anything, she had to cave.

A bit of genuine sympathy did creep up on him then, as did a bolt of inspiration.

"Wait here, Rae. I've gotta grab something real quick." Then, not able to resist the urge. "You gonna be alright all by yourself, cupcake?" he asked, not bothering to contain his amusement any longer. Her glare could have killed him on the spot. Clearly her years spent in close contact with Damian had paid off.

"I already let you get away with 'Rae' and 'doll' and 'babe.' You really don't want to push me."

"Can I have just one more?"

"Not if it's 'cupcake,'"

"Angel?"

She snorted. " _Really_?"

"'Angel' it is." He winked at her, zipping away before she could respond.

They'd passed a beauty shop a few blocks back, and Conner burst through the door with enough force to break it. All joking aside, Damian would murder him if something happened to Raven while he was gone. That in mind, he grabbed the first thing he saw from their haircare section and raced back.

He came to a stop right behind her, and the mage didn't even flinch as the wind from his flight whipped at her cloak.

"You were gone for so long. However did I survive?" she deadpanned.

He laughed. "I'll never leave you again, _angel_. Now, hold still."

Conner yanked the paper backing off the clip he'd taken, taking a brief second to examine it. A flashy maroon flower with a dark yellow center. It was so _not_ Raven that he had to smile.

He gathered her hair, appreciating its length for the second time in as many days, and pinned it into a sloppy bun at the nape of her neck before stepping back to admire his handiwork. Raven reached back to run her slender fingers along the fake petals and let out an amused huff. "Not exactly my style, Con."

He didn't respond, suddenly and unexpectedly mesmerized by the contrast of deep red and yellow against her dark bluish locks. Her coloration was like a darker, more sinful version of his own Kryptonian hues and he was struck with the desire to see her in more of his colors. An image of her with the crest of House El emblazoned across her chest flashed across his mind and he felt his heart start to pick up.

Raven stiffened, probably picking up on his bizarre whirl of emotions. She turned around, cocking her head at him curiously, and it was enough to jolt him back to reality. Conner took a large step back, pointedly looking away from her. Feeling both embarrassed and oddly disappointed. His thoughts foundered until he felt her hand on his arm.

"Calm down," she said, blushing lightly.

She was _definitely_ soothing him with her magic now, and he felt his anxiety ebb away.

"Do you want to tell me what that was all about?"

"I'm not really sure myself," he confessed. "I'm sorry...I think...it's just, you're comfortable, Rae," Conner admitted, hoping it didn't sound wrong. That was all it was, right?

"I get it. You're used to a bit more... female contact," she mumbled, flustered.

Hearing her say it sounded like a weak, _weak_ rationalization. Regardless, he seized on it. "Yeah." _Pathetic._ "I'm sorry," he repeated.

"It's alright, Kon-El," she said, and he'd long since realized she only used his Kryptonian name to pull him out of a bad place. Or if he _really_ messed up. Like when he tried to heat a can of soup with his heat vision and covered the three of them in Cream of Mushroom.

"And thank you," she added, touching her bun with a half-smile.

He stared at her as she did, fighting to keep his mind from slipping back to somewhere... _inappropriate._ Had Raven _always_ been this attractive?

The concrete fountain next to them exploded in a flash of red light and there was no more time to reflect on it.

Magic shielded them from the debris and the two of them darted around a nearby building for cover. Conner scanned the sky, terror making it difficult to breathe as he waited for paradooms to descend and tear them both to pieces.

Confusingly, the sky was empty.

"Conner," Raven breathed, nudging him and gesturing towards the destroyed fountain. Three figures stood in the wreckage and he felt his fear evaporate. _Not paradooms_. His knees almost buckled from relief.

"You're outnumbered and outmatched. Stand down and we may let you live," Black Manta stated in a cold, reverberating voice. Conner rolled his eyes.

"Trust me, we are _not_ outmatched," Raven responded disdainfully, her cloak billowing from the force of her magic as she began to levitate.

Parasite was looking excitedly between the two of them, salivating heavily. "Feed...feed…kryptonian for lunch," he cackled.

The last man, a black-and-white suited villain Conner didn't recognize, was entirely fixated on Raven, the look in his eyes inscrutable. "Leave the girl to me, Manta."

"No, Light. Quinn has ordered-"

"Quinn's not here. What concern is it of yours?"

The other man shrugged. "It's your head."

A blast of searing yellow light was suddenly racing towards the witch, and she repelled it with her magic almost lazily.

"I've got Dr. Light. Can you handle Black Manta and Parasite?"

He smiled at her, not the least bit worried. "Sure. Go easy on him, Rae."

"Not a chance," she growled, taking off towards her opponent.

Odd. He'd have to ask her what the deal was later. Conner looked back towards his own opponents, pausing for just a second before hurtling upwards and letting loose with his heat vision. Parasite scrambled for cover while Black Manta took to the air with his jetpack, returning fire with his own optic blasts. Conner dodged, feigning clumsiness and letting him get close before twisting around in the air and landing a punch directly into his back.

He tore his fist from the now-destroyed jetpack and hurled the black-suited villain to the ground. He descended to finish the job and just as he landed in front of Black Manta, realized he couldn't see Parasite.

"FEED!"

_Fuck._

He just barely turned in time, avoiding Parasite's first grab and stumbling as he tried to put some distance between them. The monster's hand was a centimeter away when a small black barrier burst into existence and stopped it dead. _I owe you one, Rae._

He snapped his fangs in fury and Conner didn't waste another moment. He let the power build behind his eyes for an extra second before twin beams tore free and blasted through the back of Parasite's head. A stray blood drop landed on his cheek as he shoved the carcass away and he scrubbed at it in disgust. His heart was pounding and he felt nauseous. Watching Damian kill someone was one thing. Doing it himself was another.. _They'd kill us no problem. The rules are different now,_ he insisted to himself.

He forced away his turmoil and looked back towards Manta, who'd regained his feet and seemed to be appraising him behind the red eyes of his helmet. Conner stared back fearlessly.

"I don't want to kill you too, but I will," he promised. _Just leave, please_.

There was no reply, the older man still staring consideringly.

Dr. Light crashed down nearby wrapped in dark energy, struggling against the constricting force of Raven's magic. She alighted in front of him, eyes glowing as her opponent's suit began glitching beneath her onslaught. _Who's outmatched?_

As if hearing his thought, the villain suddenly caught Conner's eyes and smiled chillingly. Before he knew what was happening, his heat vision activated and burst free, the red beams charging directly towards his teammate.

 _No!_ "Look out, Raven!"

She glanced up in alarm, twisting away a moment too late as one beam grazed her side. Conner heard her gasp in pain and her opponent broke free in the diversion, shooting another blast of light that Raven repelled. She returned a dark beam of her own before taking to the sky and tossing the clone a confused look.

"It wasn't me-" he started to say before he felt heat charging behind his eyes again and snapped them shut, palms pressing hard against his sockets. _How is he doing that?!_

His superhearing registered Black Manta firing another optic blast towards him, and he rocketed skyward to dodge, flying completely blind. More sounds drifted up - unable to reach him, Manta must have joined up against Raven. If he were to try and help, he'd be just another weapon to use against her with his heat vision being controlled.

_Think, Kon-El! Think!_

Forcing himself to calm down, he concentrated on the noises below until he had a decent enough pinpoint on each player. By the sounds of it, Dr. Light had closed in on Raven and there was no time to spare. _Here goes nothing._

He dove back down at supersonic speed, eyes still shut tight, and plowed into the cold metal of Manta's suit. Relying on instinct and tactile sensation, he reached for the man's arm and threw him bodily in Dr. Light's direction, praying for a hit and hoping Raven would be able to throw up a barrier for herself in time.

A heavy impact and shriek of pain announced victory. Hoping it would take the villains a moment to recover and needing to check on his teammate, he opened his eyes tentatively.

She was on her hands and knees encased in a magic barrier, something about her body language different than usual.

"Are you alright?"

_"Yes."_

He paused. Had she always sounded like that? Before he could question further something punched through the back of his shoulder, passing clean through and impaling the ground in front of him. Conner eyed the green sword in horror.

Kryptonite. Unmistakably kryptonite. He fell to his knees, feeling weak and nauseous. Two sets of footsteps approached him from behind and even though he doubted he'd be able to generate heat vision in his current state, he snapped his eyes shut. Too risky.

"That's more like it," Dr. Light said coldly. He could hear the rustle of Manta's metal suit in front of him and the sound of the kryptonite sword being pulled from the ground.

"The kryptonite is courtesy of Lexcorp, by the way. Makes it a poetic end for you."

Conner felt his hair yanked back and the edge of the blade slowly being pressed into his throat. He struggled feebly, but could barely budge against Manta's grip.

" _Hands off."_

The sword and grip were gone in a second, the now-familiar feel of magic rippling over him. And to think he _still_ hadn't told Raven how amazing she was. He'd be singing it from the rooftops after this. Conner opened his eyes.

He had never seen her demonic form before, only heard about it from the other Titans. And they definitely did _not_ do it justice. Her skin and eyes were a hellish red, four glowing pupils narrowed furiously. Loose threads of hair had worked free from her bun and danced around her face, as black magic sparked over her body. She was beautiful. And _terrifying._

" _Move, Conner."_ Her voice was deeper and huskier than usual, and he suppressed a shiver before obliging and leaping to a safe distance. He took several deep breaths, holding his wound and trying to force away the lingering effects of the kryptonite.

Raven smiled, showing off sharp canines. Dr. Light was the first to recover his feet, holding his arm at an awkward angle and glaring furiously at the demon.

" _Now where were we?"_

Red and black energy shot forward, wholly overpowering the comparatively pitiful yellow beam he attempted to counter with. Dr. Light took to the air, attempting to put some distance between himself and the demoness, but she was on him in a second. Their fight quickly took them out of Conner's sight and he let go of a trembling exhale before turning his eyes back to his own foe.

Black Manta had finally risen and was squaring up against Conner, still clutching his now-broken kryptonite sword. One red eye of his helm was shattered and the metal around it was badly crumpled. The clone bit back a growl and his mind raced for a plan of attack when something exploded just behind his enemy. Manta pitched forward from the impact, and had barely begun to turn when Damian's blade collided with the side of his damaged helmet, slicing through the metal and nearly taking the top of his head off. He howled in pain and scrambled back a few steps, before deploying a normal steel sword from the gauntlet on his left wrist.

"Come on then, boy!"

Damian glared fearlessly, green irises bright with anger. While he'd kept his Robin uniform, he never bothered with his mask anymore. Not like secret identities mattered these days. Black Manta's back was to Conner, and the clone took the chance - kryptonite be damned. His fist caught the back of his head, shattered helm flying clean off as the man fell to the ground, barely alive. He collapsed to his knees immediately after.

"I had that," Damian advised, closing the distance and kicking kryptonite from the prone villain's hand. He picked it up and chucked it as far away as he could.

"You're welcome, Damian," he replied weakly.

"Where's Raven?" the younger boy demanded.

Conner took a shaky breath, strength slowly returning. "Fighting Light," he managed. "They went that way." He gestured vaguely.

"Light? _Dr. Light?_ "

His tone was strange, but Conner ignored it. "I killed Parasite," he admitted in a nervous voice. _It's Damian,_ he told himself, _He won't judge. He can't._

Damian paused, almost looking concerned before shaking his head angrily. "Nevermind that. Why would you let Raven fight Dr. Light?"

He raised an eyebrow. Since when did he _let_ Raven do anything? "She's doing just fine. What's the problem?" he grumbled, finally standing.

Damian shot him a disgusted look. Conner glared back, "She's not a kitten up a tree. Rae can take care of herself."

" _Yes,"_ she agreed, making both of them jump.

Raven approached slowly, forcing the final remaining villain to march towards her teammates with angry tendrils of magic. _Deja vu_ , Conner thought distantly.

She was still in her demonic form, something oddly gleeful in her expression as her opponent squirmed. " _What to do with this one?"_ she mused.

"Raven?" Damian asked warily.

" _I feel fine, Damian. Just fine,"_ she answered airily, all four eyes still locked on her victim.

"The fight's over. Come back to us," he ordered, eyes betraying concern.

The demoness seemed to debate internally before finally nodding. The eyes on her forehead closed and her skin reverted back to it's usual porcelain. She shot Dr. Light a final withering glare before glancing apologetically at the two of them.

"Sorry...he...said things to me. I lost my temper."

Damian glared at Conner again, who was starting to feel confused and frustrated. He cleared his throat to try and move past the awkwardness.

"So, what now-" he started to ask before a chipper voice cut through the tension.

"Whoa, _whoa!_ Let's all just take it easy, huh?"

The three of them whirled towards the voice's owner, her distinctive style leaving no doubt in his mind as to who they were dealing with.

Harley Quinn approached casually, comically oversized mallet slung over her shoulder and manic grin in place. She wasn't alone - Cheetah and Bane flanked the jester, and Conner felt a twinge of fear. He still felt a bit weak from the kryptonite.

"I'd normally say my guys should be pickin on people their own size, but I think you taught 'em their lesson."

The three of them squared up in unison, Raven still keeping Dr. Light bound in her magic.

"Easy kiddies, we're not gonna hurt ya," Harley said, smile still in place. Damian bristled next to him, indignant.

Her blue eyes narrowed when she saw Dr. Light subdued in front of Raven. Conner looked back to see the man staring balefully at the half-demon, ignoring the clown entirely.

"Back to the old gag, Arthur? Didn't I tell you to stay away from pretty girls?"

The man finally turned his eyes away from Raven, meeting Harley's glare but saying nothing. She shook her head exasperatedly.

"Classic case of paraphilic coercive disorder. Sorry, kid," she said to Raven apologetically.

Everything clicked into place at once. _No wonder Damian is pissed_. Guilt and anger coiled in his chest at the thought of what Raven had been up against, and he remembered her comment. _What did he say to you, Rae?_

"Bad company even by your standards, Quinn," Damian replied acidly. Behind Harley, Cheetah growled in agreement.

She shrugged. "Beggars can't be choosers. Speakin of bad company, where's Parasite?"

"Dead," his teammate replied.

The blonde's eyebrows shot up and she laughed. "Well look who's all grown up! Bad luck for me though," she sighed exaggeratedly.

"Why are you here?" Raven asked sharply, clearly sick of this exchange.

"Oh don't mind us, just passin through and doin our "Robin Hood" thing. Steal from the rich and sell to the poor," she answered with a grin.

Damian rolled his eyes at her joke. "We're not interested in anything you're selling. And there aren't any other survivors here."

"Ha! So you don't know? There's a big 'ol survivalist camp about twenty miles from here. Super quaint. They'll all be dead in a month." She pulled her expression down in a mockery of sadness. "I tried warnin em. Tragedy, ain't it? We've been sellin em loot from Happy Harbor and Lexi's supply trains."

_Wait, what?_

"Lex is alive?" Conner blurted out.

The jester's blue eyes locked on his and she smirked slyly. "Oh boy, you three really _are_ out of the loop." Something about the way she said it made him antsy, and he was tempted to run away from whatever she was about to tell them.

"Lexi and Bats are _both_ Darkseid's little lapdogs now."

The news hung in the air for a moment.

"You're lying," his teammate said lowly.

"She's not, Damian," Raven murmured.

The blonde shrugged. "Some kinda reprogramming. New Batman is a total drag too - sorry to tell ya. But hey, if you wanna get back at your daddies, you could always join my merry band of suicidals."

Damian scoffed in disgust. "Not a chance, Quinn. Leave now, and take this trash with you," he gestured with his sword towards Black Manta and Dr. Light. "Before I change my mind about letting you live."

Bane fisted his hands and Conner tensed, readying for a fight.

Harley just rolled her eyes. "Down boy. We'll get outta your hair. Cheetah, you mind helpin' poor little Arthur up?"

Raven beat her to it, magic thrusting him forcefully towards the trio where he fell with an undignified thump. The feline smirked at her approvingly.

Conner followed suit, lifting the still-unconscious Black Manta with one hand and hurtling him at Bane's feet. The ragtag remnants of Task Force X turned to leave, Harley throwing one last glance over her shoulder. "Good luck out there, kiddies. We'll see ya around."

* * *

The mood was tense as they arrived back at their safehouse. Conner's shoulder had already started to heal, and he refused Raven's offer to help. She'd done enough for him today.

The witch winced lightly as she sat on the couch, pulling her cloak aside and pressing a glowing palm against the wound on her ribs. The clone felt another stab of guilt, recalling how his heat vision was responsible. She finished quickly and laid back on the couch with a sigh. "So...now we know why the Sanctuary was destroyed."

"I should have considered this possibility. That Darkseid would keep some heroes alive for reprogramming. Especially someone like my father," Damian said bitterly, throwing his sword belt down.

"I doubt he had to reprogram Lex. He'll do anything to save his own skin," Conner muttered despondently, picking at a loose thread on his black jacket. Silence reigned for a moment and Raven sat back up, looking between the two of them. _I'm sure this room is just a joy for her to be in right now_.

"What are you thinking, Damian?" she asked in a soft voice.

"That this doesn't change anything. That there's nothing I can do for him," Damian answered quietly.

It was true. Even if they could get to Apokolips, the three of them wouldn't stand a chance against Darkseid and his army. _If it was Kal-El, would I try anyways?_ Perhaps he would have at one point, but now he wasn't sure. The things he was once willing to die for had already been taken away, after all.

"Hm. We're a real 'sins of the father' crowd, aren't we?" Raven said airily, trying to lighten the mood.

Damian made a small noise of assent. "Tomorrow we'll check out this camp Quinn mentioned. I want to see it for myself."

Conner nodded, grateful for the change in subject. The idea of seeing people who _didn't_ want to kill them felt strange. Hell, this whole day had been strange.

"What's that?" Damian asked suddenly.

He looked up to see Raven fiddling with her hair clip and smiled automatically. She returned it. "Con found it for me."

The other boy's brows furrowed and suspicious green eyes met Conner's. _What, brat?_ He raised an eyebrow in response and Damian tensed, his glare sharpening.

"No arguing," she ordered. "Today's been rough enough."

"Amen," he muttered, dropping his eyes to the floor.

_Besides...it's not like that. Raven's just pretty. And clever. And strong. And she looks great in my colors._

Hm. Perhaps it _was_ like that.


End file.
